Meta Trend: Easy Ethics

In the age of religious wars, environmental disasters and globalization, consumers are turning to products that offer ethical and environmental benefits, we call this “Easy Ethics”. These benefits can be ecological, social or visionairy and are comprehensively communicated to the consumers.

For example, you probably won’t leave your car in the garage and take your bike to commute to work. Yet, to support the environment you might drive a hybrid car to contribute to the environment. Consumers won’t have to change their behavior overnight, but with convenient small steps. We have termed this trend “Easy Ethics”.

Cases:

American Apparel:

The ethically correct T-Shirt manufacturer proclaims a simple goal “seek profits through innovation, not exploitation”. Which means that everything American Apparel produces is sewn in their own downtown LA building, without subcontractors and sweatshop labor, typical in their industry. They’re environmentally aware as well: thousands of tons of fabric are recycled annually. And customers love it: in 2003, American Apparel grossed USD 80 million, double its sales figures for 2002. Those numbers are expected to double again in 2004.

Whole Foods:

The leading natural and organic foods supermarket in the USA isn’t just playing to the growing desire for a healthier lifestyle but is appealing to a desire for healthy, natural products that are grown and harvested in an ethically sound manner.
The company markets the ethical message via innovative story telling at the point-of-sale. It communicates their many involvements with ethical farming, organic food political legislation in interesting and believable ways.

Toyota Prius:

The success of the extremely popular Toyota Prius is a sign of how easy ethics have convinced the previously gas-guzzling SUV generation in the USA.
Toyota successfully markets the innovative brand with buzz marketing targeting Hollywood celebrities and VIP’s.

Trend impact:
Consumers increasingly want to participate in ethical behavior. They want to be environmentally and socially correct. “Sustainable development” has been a buzz-word since the late 1980’s but has typically been connected to global, industrial and political issues that individuals could not really influence.
Up until now companies have been able to hone their ethical message on a macro-marketing level, but now it is time for a micro-marketing ethical message. Easy-Ethics markets products and services that convey a simple ethical message that everyone can participate in, one step/one purchase at a time.

Links:
American Apparel
Whole Foods
Toyota Prius

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